Breathe In & Breathe Out
by yellowcottondresses
Summary: Nobody's sleeping in the city tonight.


**Author's Note: How do you fix being bored at work? See below!**

_When you sleep_

_Two feet away from_

_Someone_

_You learn how they_

_Breathe_

_Like it or not._

Avery

Scarlett snores.

You think he'd remember

With the years

They shared

A bed

But it keeps him up

Tonight.

On the bus

As they cross

The dream-dark highways.

He gives up

Around 2 AM

And calls

Juliette

Bad idea

The baby

Just stopped kicking

And she could

Finally

Sleep.

"I'm hanging up now – "

She says

"And if you call again

I will unleash

The wrath of

Crazy Pregnant Lady

On you.

Full force.

I love you."

"I love you, too –"

She's

Gone.

He pulls a pillow over his ears.

But can still hear Scarlett

Her measured

In

And

Out.

The road rumbles beneath him

Like a pulse

And soon it keeps in time

To her snores.

It's not so bad

Like being rocked

Inside a warm

Safe

Space.

Gunnar

His head is tucked

Toward the wall

Covers over his head

As he flicks through his phone

Blocking the light.

They took at least

Six

Different photos

Before they settled on the

One

For Twitter.

And after

Last night

They have so many more.

Fans sending him

Videos

Pictures

Grainy images from all the way

In the nosebleeds.

Pictures of the blurry stadium Jumbotron

And close-ups

From the Front Row.

Scarlett's face beams in

Image

After

Image

After

Image –

And his own.

Their expressions caught in pixels

With vivid clarity.

The flowers

Sit in a vase

Next to her bunk.

Petals drooping

To the bus floor.

They used to share

A bigger, fancier bus

On Luke's tour

A million years ago

But

This

Space

Feels

So

Much

Wider.

Even if

The distance

Between them

Now

Is just

A

Few

Breaths

Away.

Their faces

Are still

Frozen

On his screen.

She's smiling

Because

She's finally

Where she was always

Meant to be

He's smiling

Because

He's there

With

Her.

Scarlett

She's the only

One

Sleeping

Too tired to keep

Her eyes

Open.

Caleb

Called

To wish her

Goodnight.

They didn't say

The Words

But

She breathes

In –

The sweet flowers

The roar of the crowd

The tangy sweat

The choking spice of cologne

The stale bus air

Her songs and rhymes –

Breathes

out –

For now

It's all

Enough.

Deacon

The distance between

Them

Under the covers

Feels like

The distance between

Breathing

And

Being

Alive.

Juliette

She still can't sing

With the baby

Positioned so awkwardly

Taking her breath away

Literally.

But

She'll miss her

Daughter

Being under her

Heart.

Even if she won't miss

Swelling and puking and insomnia

Not being able to see her feet

Being five million pounds

Feeling like Avery will have to

Roll her

To the delivery room.

She wants

Her body

Back.

But when she puts

The phone

To her belly

And listens

To Avery

Sing,

She doesn't mind

Breathing

For the both

Of them.

For now.

Jeff

Their reflections

In the mirror

On her wall

Breathe

And shudder

Into each other –

The gaps and spaces

Their bodies

Make

Like they can

Actually

Fit

Together.

They close the space

Between

Them

That cold rush of lost air

They both

Fight

To be

The first

To breathe

Before it rushes

Out

Of the trap

Of their bodies

And fills

The shallows

Of

Each other's.

He remembers

Will

Pulling her

Out of the water

They were on the

Ground

Rocking

He had her

In his arms

Little and limp

"Don't touch her –"

He shouted

When people hovered

"Just leave it –

"Don't touch her –"

"Don't touch – "

Her

Breathing

Slowly

Jeff could see

Her chest

Move

In

And

Out

And relief

So strong

Might have brought him

To his knees

If he were

A different kind

Of

Person.

Will rocked her

Back

And

Forth

Repeating

"It's all right, it's all right,

Shhh

It's all right"

While sirens wailed

And

Everything

Around them

Glowed.

If he was a

Different

Sort of

Person

Would he have

Something

To lose?

Why bother

Thinking

Like that?

They're still

Fighting

To close

the space

between them

and maybe

that's all

he has.

It's only

Movement

But

It's

Something.

Not love

But

It could

Be –

Something.

To have

To feel

To lose.

(Take that, Teddy).

Layla

When she asks

Him

To leave

It's like

Something

Inside her

Loosens.

An anchor

She's cutting

Free.

At one time

Being alone

Was the scariest thing

she could ever face.

Now

It's probably

Going to keep her

From

Opening her door

Again.

She can do

Without

Ex-husbands

Old lovers

And go back to

Counting sheep

Like she counts

Her mistakes

These days

And

Nights.

She'll keep her door shut

Until she can find

Someone

Who doesn't

Need

To

Try.

It's better

This way,

Even if it makes

Every breath

Feel like

A bruise.

Sadie

He isn't

Breathing

She isn't

Either.

Luke

Hauls her

Away from

Pete's body

And drags her

Into the truck.

"What the fuck?"

He keeps repeating

The words run together

Until they don't sound like

Language

Just

Chaos.

"What the fuck?"

_whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhattheFUCK?!_

The rank coppery stench

Of blood

Warm and slick

On her hands

Fills the confined space.

Luke stares at her.

She stares at Pete.

Pete is staring

At the sky

Like he sees

Something she doesn't.

"What the fuck?"

He's still staring at her

Even when

The lights

Start whirling.

Red

And

Blue

Across his

Astonished

White

Face.

"What the fuck?"

She still can't breathe.

Rayna

Maddie

Cried herself

To sleep.

She's tucked in her mama's arms

Like she hasn't been

Since she was tiny

Daphne on her other side

They're all piled

Under her covers

Tonight.

They're safe beside her

Breathing

Dreaming

Hopefully of happier things –

And she feels

Awful.

The past twelve hours

Have been the most

Gut-wrenching

Agonizing

Soul-crushing

Rage-inducing

Unbelievable

Magical

Loving

Hours

Of her life.


End file.
